While in Los Angeles last summer I discovered John Frame, a sculptor I admired from Southern California, had a new exhibit entitled Three Fragments of a Lost Tale at the Huntington. I had been introduced to his work through a fellow artist some time ago. It was a delight of a show. It was a dive into another world created by the Frame’s hand, and a grin erupted on my face when reading the recent newsletter for the Portland Art Museum. The exhibition is coming to Oregon February 18-May 27. Don’t miss it.

The exhibition consists of a running film of “fragments” of a story called The Tale of the Crippled Boy. Around the gallery space, sculptures of the figures from the film are arranged in tenebristic settings. Large photo stills of the story grace the walls as well.

Yes there are obvious reasons while I like this man’s work: he creates characters that he casts into narratives with one another, there is a profound sense of mystery to the pieces, craftsmanship is important in the creation of the work, and his work actually seems to have something to offer to the viewer beyond just tantalizing then with irony, or a trendy “gotcha” aesthetic. There is a profound sense that resonates with me in Frame’s work that the ordinary can become extraordinary, as well as the artists desire to create characters that carry truth or insight to the viewer.